1797 Draped Bust Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1797 Draped Bust Dime is a United States dime from the Draped Bust Dimes 1796-1807 series — the second year of the series. In 1797, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 50,522. This ranks 7th of 10 years by total mintage, above the series median of 33,840. The obverse features Liberty facing right with draped bust and ribbon-bound hair, designed after a Gilbert Stuart portrait and the reverse displays a small, naturalistic eagle perched on a palm branch within a wreath (1796-1797) or a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM (1798-1807). Both 13-star and 16-star obverse varieties exist. The small eagle reverse continued from 1796. All 1797 dimes are rare. Struck in 89.2% silver, 10.8% copper, weighing 2.7 grams, 19.8 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $3.4K to $65K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $403K in MS65 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Robert Scot.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
